Fright Night
by XFangHeartX
Summary: It's Halloween, and the Straw Hats are enjoying the festivities with costumes and treats…until a mysterious force poses a challenge.  Post time-skip. Contains Luffy/Nami
1. The Festive Mood

One Piece: Fright Night

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><p>One Piece © Oda<p>

Blizzard © Me

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><p>Summary- It's Halloween, and the Straw Hats are enjoying the festivities with costumes and treats…until a mysterious force poses a challenge. (Post time-skip. Contains LuffyNami)

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><p><strong>Ch. 1- The Festive Mood<strong>

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><p>It was a dark, dark night in the New World, and not just any night. It was Halloween, the holiday where all things creepy and scary come out to play.<p>

It is here, at Pumpkin Island, that the story shall take place.

The _Thousand Sunny_, home of the notorious Straw Hat Pirates, had docked at the island's shore. On the deck, it is revealed that the ship had been decorated for the holiday. Jack-o-lanterns were set up near the railing, as well as orange, purple, green, and black streamers above the doors. Spider and bat ornaments were also hung up.

"C'mon, everybody! Let's get a move on! Halloween only comes once a year, remember!"

Nami sat on the rail, impatiently waiting for the rest of the crew to come out on deck with their costumes. The navigator herself was dressed a black witch's cat, complete with the triangular ears and long tail. Her costume seemed a bit kinky, due to the fact that it revealed some of cleavage, as well as her back.

"Guys, c'mon!" Nami called. "I'm not waiting forever.

"We're coming!"

Out of the men's quarters came Usopp, dressed up like a little marionette puppet with a little red feather in his hat and a pair of overalls.

"Finally," Nami said. "Will the others be out, soon?"

"Uh-huh," Usopp replied.

"So what are you dressed as?" asked Nami.

"Can't you tell?" Usopp asked her. "I'm Pinocchio!"

"Pinocchio, huh?" Nami repeated. "Kind of suits you."

"Thanks!"

At that moment, Tony-Tony Chopper exited the men's quarters, wearing a black suit and tie.

"And who are you supposed to be, Chopper?" asked Nami.

"I'm Dr. Jekyll!" Chopper answered.

"Ooh~!" Nami shuddered in a cute tone. "Does that mean you're gonna turn into Mr. Hyde?"

"Nope!" Chopper replied. "No transforming tonight!"

"Oh, that's too bad. I'd love to see that little monstrous side, once in a while, doctor."

Nami, Usopp, and Chopper looked up to see Nico Robin coming out of the women's quarters. She wore two masks, one on each side of her face. On her back were two more arms, for once not produced by her Devil Fruit powers.

"So what are you supposed to be, Robin?" asked Nami.

"I'm Asura," Robin answered, "the Demon God…or 'Goddess' in my case."

"I think it suits someone like you, Robin," commented Usopp.

"Thank you, Long-Nose," said Robin.

"Do I really have to where this stupid thing?" came the voice of a certain disgruntled swordsman.

Roronoa Zoro was wearing his green robe and red sash, but over his face was a type of mask that looked like an angry old man with a long nose.

"Oh, c'mon, Zoro," said Nami. "Tengu are considered demons, and that's pretty much what you are!"

"Shut it, witch!" Zoro snapped. "I never even volunteered for this thing! I'm just doing it because Luffy wants us to!"

"Hey! Don't you go talking to Nami like that, Moss-head!"

Everyone looked up to see Sanji exiting from the galley, wearing a suit of shimmering armor, complete with sword and shield.

"Fear not, Nami, my sweet!" Sanji declared. "I, Sanji, your brave knight, has come to protect you from the horrible Moss-head demon!"

"Oh, quit putting on the act, Dartboard!" Zoro barked.

"You looking for a fight, hack-swordsman?"

"So what if I am, love machine?"

"Alright, alright, you two!" Nami called. "Enough bickering! Now where are Luffy, Franky, Blizzard, and Brook?"

"OW! Did somebody say my name?"

Out from the hatch on the deck came Franky, dressed in his usual outfit, only with green makeup on, as well as black drawn on stitches, like some sort of hodgepodge creature. Following behind him was Brook.

"Nice Frankenstein costume, Franky!" Nami complimented.

"I'll say!" Franky said before he struck his usual pose. "SUPER creepy, don't you think?"

"Hey, Brook," said Usopp. "Why aren't you dressed up?"

"Yo-ho-ho-ho-ho!" Brook chortled. "Well, I don't see any reason to dress up on this particular, seeing as how I am already a skeleton! People will just see it as regular costume!"

"Clever," Nami said. "Now, we just have to wait for Luffy and Blizzard to show up, and then we can go."

Just then, the navigator felt a shadow looming over her, giving her an eerie sense of danger. She looked back and saw a familiar white wolf-dog, a blood red scarf tied around his neck, as well as a black cape. Atop him, another familiar figure, wearing a straw hat. The rest of his features were hidden behind his cape, as well, until he removed it from his face and made a loud hissing sound, exposing his fake fangs.

Nami only smiled at them.

"Nice vampire costumes, boys," she said.

"Thanks!" Luffy said as he dismounted Blizzard. "You're not so bad, yourself, Nami! You look very cute as a kitty!"

"Well, I guess I put new meaning in 'Cat Burglar' Nami, don't I?" questioned Nami before she let out a playful 'meow', much to Luffy's adoration.

"Oh, man, I'm so psyched!" Luffy said. "Halloween is the best holiday of the year, besides Thanksgiving and Christmas!"

"Hey, Luffy," said Zoro. "Do I really have to wear this? And aren't we all a little old to be trick-or-treating?"

"Oh, c'mon, Zoro!" Luffy complained. "Get into the festive mood! Halloween is the one night of the year where you get free candy and treats and stuff!"

"They'll probably have cotton candy!" Chopper said.

"And taffy!" Usopp added.

**Woof! Woof!** Blizzard barked.

_And peanut butter balls!_ the horse-sized wolf-dog thought.

"I'm getting hungry, just thinking about it!" Luffy exclaimed.

**GRRUUUUUUUMMBLE!** His stomach gave a lurching growl, making him grin sheepishly.

"See what I mean?" he asked.

"Well, what are we doing here?" Usopp questioned. "Let's go, already!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Luffy chanted, excitedly. "Let's GO!"

With that being said, the Straw Hats disembarked from the _Sunny_ with bags and buckets in hand, prepared to do some trick-or-treating.

Little did they know that they were being watched.

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><p>A little Halloween fanfic! Pretty sweet, huh?<p>

Review, please!


	2. Trick or Treat!

**Ch. 2- Trick-or-Treat!**

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><p>One Piece © Oda<p>

Blizzard © Me

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><p>The Straw Hats were now out doing their trick-or-treating. So far, they had visited several houses and had gotten various treats, and once they had enough, they would head back to the ship.<p>

As they arrived at another house, Luffy knocked at the door. It opened, revealing a woman in her mid-30s.

"Trick-or-treat!" the Straw Hats exclaimed as they held their bags and buckets.

The woman handed out candy to the crew of pirates and then closed the door.

"I got three candy bars!" Luffy said.

"I got some salt water taffy!" Usopp exclaimed.

"I got cotton candy!" Chopper chirped.

**Woof!** Blizzard barked.

"Blizzard says that he got some peanut butter balls!" Chopper translated.

Zoro reached into his bag and grumpily said, "I got a rock."

Next house. Chopper was next to knock on the door.

The door opened, revealing a young girl in an angel costume with her father, who was dressed up as a werewolf.

"Trick-or-treat!"

The Straw Hats were once again given candy.

"Here you go!" the girl's father said. "Happy HOWL-o-ween, you bunch of creepy monsters!"

The crew left the house's porch and looked over their prizes.

"I got some malt balls!" Luffy exclaimed.

"I got some butterscotch!" Nami said.

"I got some SUPER gummy worms!" Franky cheered.

"I do believe I have some candy corn!" Brook declared.

"I got a rock," Zoro grumbled.

The house afterwards. Nami knocked on the door next. The resident was an elderly man and his wife.

"Trick-or-treat!"

The elderly couple gave them their treats.

"Ooh! I got licorice sticks and a fudge brownie!" Luffy said.

"I got some bubble gum," Sanji said.

"I got some jawbreakers!" exclaimed Usopp.

"I got a rock," Zoro said.

This went on and on. The Straw Hats go to other houses on the island, ask for candy, and then move on. They even went into the town to get candy, and they would always see what they got, each time.

Right now, after they had just gotten candy from the 12th house they stopped at, everyone had a huge stash of candy…except Zoro, who had gotten nothing but rocks.

"I got some caramel coated apples!" Luffy declared.

"I'll trade you my gummy bears for one," said Nami.

Luffy nodded in agreement before he and his girlfriend made the trade.

"I got black licorice," Robin said.

"Yuck!" cried Usopp in disgust. "You LIKE that?"

"I got candy corn," Chopper said. "Anybody wanna trade?"

"Ooh!" Brook chirped. "I'll trade you my butterscotch for some!"

"Okay," Chopper said as he handed his candy corn to the skeleton.

"Hey, Bro Cook," Franky said. "I'll trade ya two of my malt balls for three pieces of your salt water taffy."

"Make it four malt balls and it's a deal," said Sanji.

Franky nodded before he and Sanji made the trade.

"Hey, Zoro!" Usopp called. "If you want, I'll trade you some of my candy for your rocks!"

"No, thanks," said Zoro. "I could use these rocks for weight training."

"Suit yourself," said Usopp.

Blizzard growled and barked at Usopp a bit.

"He said, 'I'll trade you my chocolate-covered nuts for peanut butter balls if you have any, Usopp'," Chopper translated.

"Okay," Usopp said.

"Listen up, you guys!" Nami called as she stood up. "One more house, and then we're heading back to the ship. I think we've got enough treats."

"Great!" Usopp said. "I can't wait to start sorting my candy!"

"Sorting?" Luffy repeated. "Get real! I'm eating all my candy, all at once!"

"Don't even think about it!" Nami said. "Even after two years, you still can't control your sweet tooth! Remember when you ate that whole cheesecake last week? You got a huge stomachache from that!"

"I was hungry!" Luffy complained. "What do you expect? And besides, it was _raspberry_ cheesecake, and it was sitting there by itself! I couldn't say 'no' to it!"

"Fine, Luffy," Nami said. "But if you get another stomachache, don't you come crying to me!"

The Straw Hats stood up, grabbing their bags and buckets as they did. At that moment, Luffy spotted something in the distance.

"Hey!" Luffy called. "There's a house we missed!"

Everyone followed their captain's gaze and saw a rather dilapidated old two-story mansion. The boards around it seemed misplaced or broken. The fence was around was rusted and bent, and the gate was left open, swinging back-and-forth in the wind, as if it were beckoning the Straw Hats toward it.

"Uh, Luffy," Nami said, suddenly feeling uneasy. "I'm not so sure about that house."

"Are you kidding?" Luffy asked. "That's the most haunted looking house I've ever seen!"

"And that's exactly WHY it's giving us the creeps!" Usopp said.

"Reminds me of _Thriller Bark_," said Chopper in a slightly scared voice.

**GRRRRRR~!** Blizzard growled at the memory.

"You should all stay away from that house."

Everyone jumped when they heard that voice.

"Who said that?" Usopp questioned, getting into a fighting stance.

"An old man," Luffy said. "Look."

The Straw Hats looked to where Luffy pointed and saw, to their surprise, that another old man had appeared, as if out of nowhere.

The man was rather short, reaching up to Nami's waist in height, and had a thinning hairline. He had a cane in his bony hand to help him walk. He wore a pair of plad pants that were held up by suspenders, and a brown coat. One of his eyes were green, while the other was milky white.

"That creepy old man's been following us for a while," said Luffy.

"What?" Nami said. "Luffy, if you knew he was following us, why didn't you say anything?"

Luffy just shrugged, earning a bop on the head from his girlfriend.

"So what do you want, old man?" asked Zoro.

"What I want, child," said the old man, "is to warn you."

"Warn us?" Robin repeated.

"About what?" Franky asked.

"About that house," said the old timer, pointing to the house that Luffy had spotted. "People have been disappearing in that house, every Halloween night, which is why most don't go in there."

"D-d-disappear?" repeated a shaking Brook.

"B-b-bu-but why?" Usopp stammered.

"Because," the old man said, "the house…is haunted."

"Haunted?" Usopp, Chopper, and Brook repeated in horror.

"Haunted?" Luffy repeated with sparkling eyes.

**KONK!** Nami bopped Luffy on the head, again.

"Ow!" Luffy cried. "Will you stop hitting me, Nami?"

"The house is haunted, you say?" Robin questioned.

"How so?" Zoro added.

"I dare not say," the old man said. "Some don't believe me. They even called me a crazy old coot, but those who do not heed my warnings and go to that house are never heard from, again. Trust me…if you children value your lives…don't go into that house, whatever you do!"

With that, the old man disappeared, leaving the Straw Hats confused, and some terrified.

"Uh, okay," Sanji said. "That was creepy."

"I'll say," Usopp said, shaking.

"Scary…!" Chopper whimpered.

"Scary, indeed…!" Brook added.

Luffy, on the other hand, turned and faced the eerie-looking house.

"Okay, let's go," he said.

"Go where?" Zoro asked.

Luffy pointed to the house.

"Inside the haunted house!" he answered. "Where else?"

"Luffy, no!" Nami protested. "You heard the creepy old man! He said it was HAUNTED, and anyone who goes in there doesn't come back!"

"So what?" Luffy asked. "We're pretty strong. If there's a ghost in there, we can handle it! And besides, it's Halloween! Anything scary is supposed to be fun, right?"

"Sometimes, yes," Nami said. "But that house…it looks a bit too scary for me Let's just go back to the ship, okay? Please?"

"Oh, c'mon, Nami," Luffy said. "It'll be okay. If there is a ghost, I'll protect you. Okay?"

Nami looked into her captain's eyes, They had a bit of reassuring essence in them, and it calmed her down a little.

The navigator heaved a sigh and said, "Fine. We'll go…but the moment things start to look bad, we leave, okay?"

"Sure," said Luffy. "All right, you guys! Into the haunted house we go!"

"Is it all right if I stay out here?" Usopp asked. "I have 'Don't-Go-Into-the-Haunted-House' Disease!"

"Me, too!" Chopper added.

It appeared their pleas fell on deaf ears, for soon, everyone was heading to the supposedly haunted mansion. Usopp and Chopper, afraid of being left alone, soon followed.

XXX

Luffy stood on the porch of the mansion and knocked on the door.

"Hello~!" he called. "Any ghosts in there?"

"Luffy, don't say that!" Usopp begged. "What if there is a ghost?"

Suddenly, the door began to open, slowly, making a low creaking sound as it did.

Chopper bit at his hooves. Usopp's legs were shaking, tenfold. Brook's bones were practically rattling in fright.

Zoro prepared to draw his swords.

As the door opened fully, the Straw Hats appeared confused.

It appeared as if no one was there, but then…

"Hi!"

The crew looked down and saw a little boy, about 8 years of age, dressed in a white shirt and blue pants. He had short, scruffy brown hair and a pair green eyes.

"I'm Malcolm!" said the boy. "Welcome to my house!"

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><p>Review, please!<p> 


	3. Malcolm's Game

**Ch. 3- Malcolm's Game**

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><p>One Piece © Oda<p>

Blizzard and Malcolm © Me

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><p>The Straw Hats stared at the little boy, introduced as Malcolm, who had come to greet them. What was a child doing in a creepy-looking house like this? It made no sense, at all.<p>

"Hi!" Luffy greeted as he reached down to shake the boy's hand. "I'm Luffy, and these are my friends, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky, Blizzard, and Brook!"

"Nice to meet you!" said Malcolm. "Nice Halloween costumes!"

"Thanks!" Luffy said.

"Would you like to come in?" Malcolm asked.

"Sure!" Luffy said. "C'mon, guys!"

"Luffy, wait," Nami said. "I've got a bad feeling about him. He looks sweet…but…"

"He's just a kid, Nami," Luffy said. "What could he do?"

Nami didn't seem very convinced, and she didn't know it at the time, but Blizzard felt the same way.

_That kid,_ he thought. _I don't like the scent that's coming off of him. Something's way off here._

The Straw Hats entered the mansion, following Malcolm behind.

"You got any candy in here?" Luffy asked.

"There should be some in the kitchen," said Malcolm. "I don't get many guests, though."

"Pardon me, Malcolm," said Robin, "but…where are your parents?"

"Oh, they're gone," Malcolm said. "They left on a little trip."

"And they left you here, alone?" Usopp asked. "That can't be safe."

"It's okay," Malcolm said. "My Papa left me in charge! I'm my own man!"

"I see," Sanji said.

"I had a brother," Malcolm said, "but he went with my parents, too, so it's just me."

"So you live here all by yourself?" asked Nami. "Don't you get lonely?"

"Sometimes," said Malcolm. "I don't get many visitors, but when someone does come to visit, I get to have a lot of fun with them, especially on Halloween night!"

"Really, now?" Brook asked.

Zoro and Sanji were already in the kitchen, looking through the cabinets and the fridge.

"Hey, kid!" Sanji called. "There's no food in here!"

"And no wine or sake, either!" Zoro called.

"Oh, I ran out!" Malcolm called. "But I was about to go out and buy some more food, anyway!"

Chopper looked up to Blizzard, sweat beginning to form on his brow.

"Blizzard," Chopper said. "I don't know about you, but I feel something weird about that kid. He looks nice, and all, but…there's also something wrong about him."

**Grr~!** Blizzard growled.

"So you noticed it, too, huh?" asked Chopper. "Should we tell the others?"

Blizzard nodded.

Nami, meanwhile, was also having more than her share of uneasiness. She held Luffy's hand, tight, refusing to let go.

"Nami, will you calm down?" Luffy asked. "There's nothing to be scared of."

"Maybe not for you," Nami began, "but this place just gives me the creeps!"

"Hey!" Malcolm said. "You guys wanna play a game?"

"Sure!" Luffy answered. "I love games!"

"Great!" Malcolm said. "I'm crazy about games, you know! How about a game of hide-and-seek! I'll hide, and you'll count to 30 and try to find me!"

"Okay," Luffy said before he turned away and started counting with his eyes closed. He would use his Observation Haki to find out where Malcolm was going to hide, but then again, he decided to be fair. "1…2…3…4…"

As Luffy and Malcolm started to play their game, Nami decided to go find the others and tell them about her uneasiness.

She found them in the foyer of the mansion, all gathered around and chatting.

"Guys," Nami called as she approached them. "Listen. I don't know about any of you, but Malcolm…he's starting to creep me out, a little."

"We know," Usopp said. "Blizzard and Chopper told us everything."

"They said they felt a rather ominous aura coming from the boy," said Brook.

Nami turned to Blizzard and Chopper.

"So you guys felt it, too, huh?" the navigator asked.

"Uh-huh," Chopper answered.

"Blizzard, why don't you get Luffy?" Nami asked. "I think it's time we left this place."

Blizzard nodded before he went to find Luffy so that they could leave.

There was a long pause, and it made Nami even more uneasy than ever.

"What is taking that dog so long?" Nami questioned.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH~!"

**YIIIIIIIPE~!** A pained yowl followed.

The rest of the Straw Hats turned. The scream belong to Luffy!

"Luffy!" Nami cried as she ran to her captain's aid. "Blizzard!"

Everyone else soon followed, heading for the kitchen, where Luffy was last seen. Once they got there, they found their captain and their guard dog, down on the floor, shaking.

"Luffy?" Nami called as she approached her captain.

"Blizzard, are you okay?" Chopper asked as he slowly walked up to the wolf-dog. "Are you sick?"

"Guys, wait," Zoro said. "I don't think that's a good idea!"

Nami didn't appear to listen to the swordsman. She gently knelt down and slowly put a hand on Luffy's shoulder.

"Luffy?" Nami called. "Are you-"

Suddenly, Luffy whipped around to face her, but the moment he did, Nami let out a short shriek.

Luffy's eyes were glowing a demonic red, and he let out a hissing sound, baring his seemingly fake fangs.

"L-Luffy?" Nami stammered as she started to back away.

"Hey, Luffy!" Sanji said. "What kind of joke is this? Are you trying to scare Nami or something?"

Luffy didn't answer him. He just gave the cook a toothy grin, but this one seemed different than the one he usually wore. This one seemed more…evil.

"Uh, Sanji," Usopp said. "I don't think this is Luffy, anymore."

"I have a feeling you might be right, Usopp," Zoro said.

"AHH!"

Everyone turned when they saw Chopper starting to back away from Blizzard, who was acting in the same demeanor as Luffy.

Robin looked over to a nearby mirror and saw, to her horror, that neither Luffy nor Blizzard…had their reflections.

"Oh, no," Robin said. "Luffy and Blizzard…they…they've turned into real vampires!"

Luffy and Blizzard let out a hiss.

"Give me your blood…" Luffy said in a low, demonic voice.

His gaze was mostly on Nami, who gasped and covered her neck.

"You know…I'm sick of playing hide-and-seek."

The Straw Hats looked around to try and search for the owner of the voice, but they didn't look for long.

"Up here."

The crew of pirates looked up and saw, to their shock, that Malcolm…was floating in the air!

"Malcolm?" Nami exclaimed, questioningly. "W-what are you doing up there?"

"What did you to our captain, you brat?" Zoro shouted.

"And Blizzard, too?" Chopper added, hiding behind Usopp.

"I decided that I wanted to play a game of tag, instead," said Malcolm. His voice sounded deadpan, despite the rather malevolent smirk on his face. "Your friends are 'it'."

"Uh, hey guys," Usopp said as he started to back away. "I think that Malcolm…is the GHOST!"

"You guys better get to the door and get outta here," Malcolm said, "before your friends catch you."

Luffy and Blizzard hissed again, prepared to feast on the blood of their crewmates.

"Luffy, no…!" Nami whispered.

"RUN!" Zoro cried.

With that, the Straw Hats turned and ran, and Luffy and Blizzard soon gave chase after them.

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><p>Review, please!<p> 


	4. The Truth About Malcolm

**Ch. 4- The Truth About Malcolm**

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><p>One Piece © Oda<p>

Blizzard, Malcolm, and Mordecai © Me

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><p>The Straw Hats ran to the door as fast as they could with their captain and guard dog giving chase after them.<p>

"Get to the door before one of them grabs you!" Usopp cried. "Once they bite into your neck, you're a vampire, too!"

Nami looked back as she held Robin's hand. Luffy was mounted on top of Blizzard's back, his fangs bare and his eyes still glowing red.

"Give me your blood!" he roared.

Somewhere around them, the Straw Hats could hear the evil laughter of Malcolm, or rather, the ghost of Malcolm as they kept running.

Usopp was the first to get to the door, and he quickly opened it.

"Hurry up!" he shouted.

The rest of the crew made their exit, and Usopp was the last get out, slamming the door behind him. Once the door closed, Luffy and Blizzard were forced to stop. They hissed angrily, baring their fangs.

"Don't worry about them," said Malcolm as he came floating down behind them. "They'll be back, and we'll be waiting for them…won't we?"

Luffy made a toothy grin as he snickered, maliciously.

XXX

Outside the mansion, the Straw Hats were busy trying to catch their breath.

"That was close," Chopper said.

"I thought for sure that we were gonna be next," Usopp added.

"To think, that kid was a ghost, the whole time," Franky said.

"How frightening!" Brook exclaimed.

"Malcolm must've been the ghost that the old man was talking about," said Robin.

Nami looked at the mansion, sadly. She could see a pair of glowing red eyes, glaring at her through the window.

Whether that was Luffy or Blizzard, she couldn't tell. All she knew was that the man she loved had been turned into a monster against his will…and now, she wanted nothing more than get to him back.

But how?

Robin, sensing the navigator's sadness, gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Sanji also felt Nami's unease, but he decided to let Robin do the comforting.

Zoro, on the other hand, stood up.

"Let's head back to the ship, for now," he said.

"What?" Nami questioned. "You want us to abandon Luffy and Blizzard?"

"I didn't say that!" Zoro argued. "I'm just saying we need to go back so we can make a plan to save Luffy and the mutt!"

Nami glared at Zoro, but then she heaved a sigh.

"Okay," she said.

With that, the crew headed back to the _Thousand Sunny_ to formulate a plan on how to rescue their captain and his dog.

Little did they know that they were being followed.

XXX

Moments later, on the ship, everyone was at the deck, sitting in a circle, thinking of what they should do to save Luffy and Blizzard.

"I've got nothing," Usopp said.

"Me, neither," Franky added.

"Well, we have to do something," Sanji said.

"What good is a pirate crew without a captain to lead them?" Zoro questioned.

"Don't forget Blizzard," Chopper said. "We need him, too!"

"But what are we gonna do?" Nami asked. "We've faced zombies, Warlords, and all those other things, but we've never faced real vampires or real ghosts!"

"It appears you may need my help, then."

Everyone turned to see the old man from before.

"It's you!" Usopp exclaimed. "The old man from earlier!"

"Yes," said the old man.

"Okay, old timer," said Zoro. "I think it's high time you started explaining yourself! Who are you and how do you know about that ghost kid?"

"It appears it is time I started to explain myself, isn't it?" the old man asked with a sigh. "All right, then. My name is Mordecai…and that ghost inside that mansion…is my younger twin brother, Malcolm."

"Your brother?" Nami repeated.

"But why is he a ghost?" Usopp asked.

"And why did he turn Luffy and Blizzard into real vampires?" Chopper asked.

"Well, it's a very long story," Mordecai began, "but I'll try and explain as best as I can. You see, 60 years ago, my brother and I lived in that mansion with our parents. We were a wealthy family and we were all very happy together…but then…they came. A pack of vicious pirates came and attacked our home. My Mother, Father, and I managed to escape, but Malcolm had foolishly hid himself so that the pirates wouldn't find him…but we didn't find him, either. Once we escaped, I realized that Malcolm wasn't with us. I went back to try and find him, but when I did…I saw that it was too late to save him."

"What happened to him?" Robin asked.

"The pirates had found him," Mordecai answered. "And when they did…they cut his throat open and let him bleed to death. Malcolm was gone…but he never left. His spirit now haunts the mansion, and every day, I try so hard to help him pass on to the afterlife, but he refuses to go."

"That's very sad, Mister Mordecai," Nami said, "but it doesn't explain how he turned our friends into vampire."

"Nor do I," Mordecai said. "All I know is…you must help my brother. If you help him, you may help your friends as well."

There was a pause. Then, Mordecai got down low on his knees with his head touching the ground.

"Please," Mordecai said. "I know you're pirates, but I also know that you're not the kind of pirates who mercilessly kill innocent women and children. I beg of you, as a poor old man with no other options…will you please help Malcolm?"

There was another pause.

"Okay," Nami said. "We'll do it."

"What?" the crew questioned.

"But Nami," Usopp said. "Aren't you afraid?"

"Yes, I am," Nami said, "but, like Mister Mordecai said, Malcolm's just a restless spirit. We need to find out the reason why he won't pass on, and if we did, he might change Luffy and Blizzard back to normal."

"Well, we might as well," said Zoro.

"I always did like vampires," Robin began, "but I don't like the thought of my captain or his dog being vampires."

"If Nami and Robin are going, then I'll go, too," Sanji said. "Even if they are our friends, I'm not letting Luffy and Blizzard suck their blood."

"I'll go, too," Chopper said. "I wanna help Blizzard."

"I'm going, as well," Brook said. "After all, I owe my life to Mister Luffy, even though I'm already dead. Yo-ho-ho-ho-ho!"

"And I'm going, too!" Franky said.

Everyone turned to Usopp.

"What about you Usopp?" Nami asked. "If your gonna chicken out, now's your chance."

Usopp crossed his arms.

"Well," he said. "Sure, I'm scared…but like Zoro said, what good is a pirate crew without a captain?"

Nami smiled at Usopp. Perhaps he's not as cowardly as he was, two years ago.

"But I'll go if Zoro goes into spooky haunted mansion first," Usopp said.

Spoke too soon.

* * *

><p>Sorry it's short.<p>

Review, please!


	5. Going Back

**Ch. 5- Going Back**

* * *

><p>One Piece © Oda<p>

Blizzard and Malcolm © Me

* * *

><p>Moments later, the Straw Hats had disembarked from the <em>Sunny<em> and were now heading back to the haunted mansion. This time, they were prepared.

Usopp had given everyone a vial of holy water, a crucifix, and some garlic to keep Luffy and Blizzard at bay when they entered the house. Nami forbade him from giving everyone wooden stakes. She may've wanted Luffy and Blizzard in their current forms away, but she was not going to allow them to get killed.

They reached the mansion and stepped onto the porch. They found that the candy, treats, and rocks that they had abandoned here were gone, but right now, they didn't really care.

"Okay," Nami said, taking a deep, calming breath. "Is everyone ready?"

"Yeah," the Straw Hats replied.

With that, Nami opened the door, revealing the darkness within.

"Franky," Nami called.

"Right."

**FLASH!** Franky turned on his Nipple Lights, causing all the darkness within the Straw Hats' vicinity to flee.

"Be careful," said Sanji. "Luffy and Blizzard might be in this very room."

"As long as we stay in the light and have our garlic, crucifixes, and such, we should be all right," Usopp said. "Vampires dwell in the darkness. If you leave the light, that's when they pounce."

"Scary…!" Chopper whimpered.

Nami reached down and took the little reindeer's hoof in her hand.

"Don't worry," Nami said. "As long as we stick together, nothing will happen."

"I hope so," Chopper said.

With that, the crew continued onward, eyes constantly looking around for any type of danger, be it Luffy, Blizzard, or Malcolm.

In the darkness, however, they didn't realize that two pairs of glowing red eyes were following them.

"What are you waiting for?" asked a familiar, deadpan voice. "Go get them."

A monstrous growl was made in response before the eyes' owners slinked off after the Straw Hats.

XXX

The crew ventured up the stairs of the mansion, trying to keep together in the light of Franky's…well, you know.

Suddenly, Chopper's sensitive ears picked up the sound of hissing, causing chills to go down his spine.

"Guys?" he whispered. "Did you hear that?"

"I did," Nami said.

"So did I," Sanji added.

"We all did," Usopp chimed in.

Brook shuddered, teeth chattering.

"I have a very bad feeling in my bones, all of a sudden," he said.

Zoro instinctively looked up and put a hand on his swords.

"Heads up!" he shouted.

Everyone looked up and saw two pairs of red eyes glaring at them from the ceiling,

**THUD!** Two shadowy figures fell from the ceiling and landed on their feet in front of the Straw Hats. Once they stood up, they were revealed to be Luffy and Blizzard, both wearing evil, toothy grins on their faces.

"Looking for us?" Luffy asked with a snicker.

**Grr~!** Blizzard made a hissing growl.

Everyone started to back away from the two vampires. As they did, they heard the familiar laughter of Malcolm.

Speak of the devil, there he was, floating above Luffy and Blizzard.

"Malcolm!" Nami exclaimed.

"You guys came back to play!" Malcolm said. "Great." He floated down beside Luffy and put an arm on his shoulder. "I gotta say, your captain makes good company, and so does his doggy. Still, you know the old saying: 'The more, the merrier'."

"Turn our friends back to the way they were, right now!" Usopp shouted.

"I don't think so," Malcolm said. "I'm having way too much, and I'll have even more fun when these two are done with you!"

"Master," Luffy hissed. "I want blood. Give me blood!"

**RUFF!** Blizzard barked, loudly in agreement.

"There's a fresh supply right in front of you," Malcolm told Luffy. "Go and get it."

Luffy smiled before he lunged at the first person he laid his sights on: Nami.

"Nami!" Sanji cried. "Look out!"

Nami covered her face with her arms in defense, awaiting the piercing of Luffy's fangs in her neck…but it never came. Upon uncovering her face, she saw that Luffy's horrifying visage was now replaced with his own look of horror, as well as disgust. Looking behind him, she saw that Blizzard was now doing the same thing.

It was then that the navigator mentally hit herself for forgetting one crucial thing: the garlic!

Nami reached into her bra and pulled out said vegetable, putting it front of Luffy's face, making him even more horrified.

"Ah!" he yelped. "Garlic! Keep it away from me!"

With that, Luffy turned tail and ran, and Blizzard followed behind, yowling in fear and defeat. As they ran, Nami noticed that Luffy had dropped something in his haste to get away.

It was his hat.

Nami approached the treasured head-wear before she gently plucked it off the dusty floor and set it upon her orange hair.

Luffy would've wanted her to hold on to it, vampire or not.

Meanwhile, Malcolm was growling and throwing a big fit, as usual for a child his age, even if he is a ghost.

"No fair!" he yelled. "You cheated!"

"Malcolm, listen," Nami said. "What you're doing may be fun to you, but not us!"

"Liar!" Malcolm said. "Big, fat, cheating liar!"

"Look, kid," Zoro said. "You don't belong here in the world of the living anymore! Turn our captain and his damn dog back to normal and pass on to the afterlife, already!"

"No!" Malcolm spat. "No, no, no! Never, never, NEVER!"

"Just as I thought," Robin said. "His spirit won't rest."

Suddenly, Malcolm started growling, his hands balled up into fists and his teeth gritted. His eyes began to glow red and a mysterious black aura appeared around him.

"Uh-oh," Usopp muttered. "This is not good!"

**CRRAAAACK!** The floorboards were pulled up into the air, all by themselves.

"Go AWAY!" Malcolm shouted.

**FWOOSH!** With the swing of his hands, Malcolm threw the boards at the Straw Hats. At first, it didn't seem like they'd do much harm, but then, the ends of the boards became pointed and sharp!

"Duck!" Chopper cried.

Everyone heeded the doctor's warning and ducked down in the nick of time, except Franky.

**SMASH!** The boards impacted with Franky's iron chasse and shattered into nothing but splinters.

"You'll have to do better than that, kid!" said Franky. "What else have you got?"

Malcolm made a hand motion to the railing nearby, and once he did, it took on the form of a huge metal python. Once he did, he made a gesture that commanded it to attack.

"Let me handle this!" Usopp shouted before he pulled out his Black Kabuto. "Certain Death…Green Star…SMOKE BOMB!"

**TWANG!** Usopp fired one of his Pop Greens, causing a huge plant form between the Straw Hats and Malcolm. The plant looked like a huge flower, and from its center, a thick layer of smoke came seeping out and quickly filled the hall.

**SMASH!** The metal python attacked the plant, destroying it, instantly. However, once the smoke had cleared, Malcolm saw that the Straw Hats had disappeared.

"Grr…!" he growled. "I HATE grown-ups! They never play fair!"

XXX

In the kitchen, it is revealed that the crew had escaped here, and were currently catching their breath.

"That was close," Chopper said. "I was afraid he was really gonna get us."

"That was quick thinking, Usopp," Nami said. "Way to use your head."

"What should we do, now?" Franky asked. "Should we try and go back upstairs, again? The kid's probably waiting for us!"

"Plus, we have no idea where Luffy or Blizzard ran off to," Robin added.

"Or when or if they'll strike next," Zoro chimed in.

"And don't forget who," Brook piped.

"And more importantly," Nami began, "how we're going to get Malcolm to pass on to the afterlife."

"Maybe if we split up and cover more ground," said Sanji, "we might find a clue."

"What clue?" Usopp questioned. "All we know is that he was killed by pirates."

"Do you think it's because he hates them?" Nami asked. "Maybe he won't pass on because he knows there are pirates in the world."

"Maybe so," Brook said, "and yet I don't think that's why."

"Let's just try splitting up, for now," Sanji said. "We'll meet in the drawing room. Try not to get lost."

Everyone set their gaze on Zoro, who soon grew irritable.

"What in the hell are you all looking at?" the swordsman questioned.

XXX

Moments later, after taking a moment to rest, the crew split up into groups of two.

Zoro was paired with Sanji (unfortunately), Brook was with Usopp, Robin was with Franky, and Nami was with Chopper, who tried his hardest to brave.

Sanji told everyone that the moment they were in trouble, they should scream or yell real loud to let them know where they were, something that Zoro said would never happen with him.

Right now, the swordsman and cook were walking down one of the upstairs hallways. So far, they didn't see any signs of Malcolm, Luffy, or Blizzard, but that didn't mean they weren't going to let down their guard.

Still, that also didn't mean that they wouldn't argue.

"Why the hell do I always have to end up with you?" Zoro barked, questioningly.

"Shut up!" Sanji growled. "If no one kept a damn eye on you, you'd end up lost before you know it!"

"I do NOT get lost, you dumb-ass cook!"

"You do so, hack swordsman!"

"Dartboard!"

"Moss-head!"

"Why you!" Sanji snarled. "I ought to drop you like ten-rate mincemeat!"

"Oh, yeah?" Zoro barked, drawing his swords. "Try it after I hack you into pieces!"

Before the two could go at it, a big, white blur dashed over them, forcing them both to duck on instinct. Upon looking up, they saw that it was only a bat, flying overhead from the rafters.

"I can't believe you're afraid of a little bat," Zoro reprimanded.

"That's not an ordinary bat," said Sanji. "Most bats don't have white fur, big bushy tails, or red glowing eyes."

Zoro looked back up at the bat and saw that Sanji was right. The creature had fur as white as snow, a big bushy tail, and more importantly…two demonic red eyes.

**THUD!** The bat grew in size and lost its ability to fly, landing on the floor before Zoro and Sanji.

It was Blizzard, fangs exposed and ready to suck blood.

"Damn it," Sanji cursed. "He must've been following us!"

"Where's Luffy, though?" Zoro asked.

"Doesn't matter," Sanji said. "Right now, I think we should worry about Blizzard, first."

**HIIISSS!** Blizzard hissed at the two, licking his lips as he began to advance.

"What's going on?" Zoro asked. "I thought the garlic and holy water was supposed to keep him away!"

Sanji gasped silently. He reached into his armor and found, to his horror, that he was no longer armed with his garlic or his holy water.

Zoro searched his robes and also took on a look of shock when he realized his "vampire repellant" was also gone.

They must've dropped them when the Straw Hats were escaping from Malcolm!

"Damn it!" Sanji cursed.

"Looks like we got no choice," said Zoro. "We're gonna have to fight our way passed him!"

With that, Zoro and Sanji got into fighting stances. Truth be told, they didn't really want to do it, but right now…this wasn't Blizzard, anymore.

Blizzard growled, saliva oozing from his jaws before he lunged forward.

"Get ready!" Zoro exclaimed as he drew his swords, again. "Here he comes!"

**KLASH!** Blizzard was now locked in a stalemate, his claws and fangs now locked with Zoro's blades.

* * *

><p>Review, please!<p> 


	6. Blizzard Bites Back and Luffy Remembers?

**Ch. 6- Blizzard Bites Back…and Luffy Remembers?**

* * *

><p>One Piece © Oda<p>

Blizzard and Malcolm © Me

* * *

><p>Zoro tried his hardest to push Blizzard back, but he found himself struggling under the huge wolf-dog's strength. He had forgotten how much stronger the canine had gotten over the past two years. Still, that wasn't going to stop him.<p>

However, he wasn't about to lose to some mutt, even if he is a part of the crew.

"C'mon, Mutt!" Zoro barked. "I know you can do better than this!"

**RAAAAAAWWWRR!** Blizzard roared in the swordsman's face.

Just then, Zoro pushed Blizzard away, sending him backwards for a moment before the vampire hound came charging back at him.

"Here he comes, again!" Sanji warned.

"Will you relax?" Zoro questioned. "I may be one-eyed, now, but that doesn't mean I'm blind! He's right in front of me!"

As Blizzard was charging, Zoro dashed forward, as well, preparing to attack.

**SLISH!** Zoro cut Blizzard in the side with his swords, drawing blood as he did.

Blizzard turned to face Zoro, again, red liquid seeping from the gashes in his side, but it didn't seem to affect him, at all. However, it did seem to make him angrier.

Zoro raised his now blood-ridden swords.

"Three-Swords Style…"

**WOOSH!** The wings for his Tengu costume seemed to come to life. They began to flap, and Zoro instantaneously took flight, swords pointed at Blizzard, who was charging right back at him.

"Wings of BLOOD!"

**SLASH!** Zoro swung his swords, cutting Blizzard once again in the face, shoulder, and hip. The resulting slash took the shape of a wing.

**KRASH!** Blizzard landed behind the swordsman in a crumpled heap, defeated…for the moment, at least.

"Not bad," Sanji said, "for a hack."

"I'm just gonna pretend I didn't hear you," Zoro said. "Anyway, he won't stay down for long. We better hurry and get outta here before he decides to get back up, again."

For once, Sanji agreed with Zoro, and the two Straw Hats prepared to make their exit.

Blizzard, on the other hand, was just beginning to stand up, perhaps a bit too soon. Vampire or not, the wolf-dog had crazy resilience and was able to heal faster than normal, so it should be no surprise that he should be able to stand after taking a slashing from Zoro like that.

Blizzard growled and hissed at the same time, alerting Zoro and Sanji that he wasn't done, yet.

"Damn it," Zoro said. "Of course the mutt would get right back up! He's a vampire!"

"Forget that!" Sanji said. "Let's just run!"

Not needing to be told twice, Zoro made a run for it, and Sanji soon followed. Blizzard gave chase after them, growling and hissing.

XXX

Somewhere else in the house, Usopp and Brook were looking in another room. This room must've been one of the guest rooms, judging by the dusty old cot that had been set out.

While Usopp searched closet, Brook was looking in one of the drawers of the dresser (hoping to find some…lingerie inside). So far, they've found nothing to help Malcolm pass on to the other world.

"This is pointless," Usopp said. "We've searched three rooms, and we haven't found one damn clue that'll help us!"

"And I haven't found any panties," said a sulking Brook.

"Forget about the underwear for a minute!" Usopp barked. "Listen, this is no time to be checking out women's lingerie, okay? We have to find a way to get that ghost kid to pass on, as well as turn Luffy and Blizzard back to normal! If we don't, who knows what's gonna happen?"

**CREEEAAK! KACRASH!** The ceiling suddenly gave way, and three figures came falling from the hole that had formed.

It was Zoro and Sanji…and they had dragged Blizzard down with him!

"GAAAAAAAAHH!" Brook screamed.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" Usopp cried. "WHY DID YOU BRING BLIZZARD DOWN WITH YOU?"

Zoro and Sanji quickly jumped to their feet and backed away from Blizzard as he stood up, growling and hissing.

"Be careful!" Sanji warned. "Don't let him get at you, no matter what!"

Blizzard looked at the four men (well, three men and a skeleton in Brook's case), trying to decide on who should be his prey.

The four Straw Hats all got into fighting stances, prepared to fight off the vampire dog. Crew member or not, he was threatening them, and for right now, they had to fight for their lives.

Blizzard lunged for Sanji who quickly rolled out of the way, and **POW!** He delivered a snapping kick to his stomach!

"Certain Death…HOLY WATER STAR!" Usopp cried.

**TWANG! SPLOOSH!** Usopp shot a vial of holy water at Blizzard, who dropped to the ground, yowling in agony as the holy water began to burn his body.

"Thank goodness," said Brook. "I really hated the thought of having to fight Mister Blizzard, especially in his current form!"

"Well, now's our chance to get outta here while we can!" Sanji said. "Let's go and regroup with the others! I hope Luffy hasn't found them."

As the quartet ran to leave, Blizzard staggered to his paws, suddenly overcome by an incredible bloodlust. The holy water had weakened him, and now, he really needed blood, or else he could end up in a catatonic state.

He focused his attention on the last Straw Hat to leave the room: Usopp.

With his decision made, Blizzard gathered whatever strength he could muster and jumped at from behind, mouth agape and fangs exposed.

**GRRRRAAAAAOOORR!** The wolf-dog roared.

Zoro turned upon hearing that roar and turned around just in time to see Blizzard about to sink his fangs into the sniper's neck.

"USOPP!" Zoro yelled. "BEHIND YOU!"

Usopp whirled around, but it was too late to stop Blizzard from attacking him…or so it seemed.

**BAM!** A dark green blur rammed into Usopp, pushing him to the floor.

"NO!" Sanji cried.

"GOOD HEAVENS!" Brook added.

Usopp gasped, and his eyes went wide with horror.

Zoro, out of desperation, pushed Usopp out of Blizzard's way, but in doing so…he had become the wolf-dog vampire's victim. Blizzard's fangs had dug deep into the swordsman's jugular vein and was now sucking his blood.

Zoro struggled to get away, but he found his very strength being sapped right out of him.

Blizzard let go of Zoro, and the man fell to the floor on his hands and knees.

There was a pause.

"Uh…Zoro?" Usopp called. "You okay, man?"

Just then, Zoro stood up, and at first, Usopp, Sanji, and Brook thought that the bite did nothing…but as the swordsman turned to them, they soon saw that they couldn't have been more wrong.

Zoro's good eye was now glowing bloody red, and as he opened his mouth, he let out a hissing noise, revealing a pair of elongated canines.

"Great," said Sanji. "Now we have to deal with a ghost and THREE vampires!"

XXX

Meanwhile, with Nami and Chopper, they were exploring a room on the third corridor of the mansion. Chopper was trying so hard not to get his fear get the better of him, but he still couldn't help but hold Nami's hand. Nami didn't really mind. After all, she was scared, as well, but she felt better knowing she wasn't alone.

As the two kept walking down the corridor, they saw something up ahead and stopped.

"What's that?" Nami asked. "Up ahead. Do you see it?"

"Yeah, I think so," Chopper said.

What the two Straw Hats saw appeared to be a pair of glowing red orbs. At first, they didn't really think much of it, but then, they heard a hissing noise that made their skin crawl.

"Oh, no…!" Nami gasped as she picked up Chopper and pulled him close to her bosom. "Not again!"

"Let's get outta here!" Chopper declared.

With that, Nami turned tail and run, and the moment, Luffy jumped out of the shadows and chased after her.

"I want your BLO~OD!" Luffy roared.

"Faster, Nami!" Chopper exclaimed. "He's gaining on us!"

Nami didn't dare to look back as she kept running. Somehow, she had to get some distance between from Chopper and herself and Luffy. He must've found some way to overcome the garlic, so that probably wouldn't work.

As Nami continued to run, she felt something grab her by the ankle.

**THUD!** The navigator was pulled down to the floor, dropping Chopper in the process. Looking back, she saw that Luffy had stretched his arm and was now slowly pulling her towards him.

"Oh, no!" Nami cried. "Chopper, help me!"

"Nami!" cried Chopper. "Oh, what should I do? What should I DO?"

Luffy laughed in an evil, demonic manner as he pulled Nami closer.

"Your blood will be mine!" he declared.

At this point, Nami had tears forming in her eyes. The thought of her beloved captain feasting on her blood just plain horrified her…as well as saddened her.

If only there was someway she could snap him out of it.

"Luffy!" Nami called. "Listen to me! I know you're in there! You have to fight Malcolm's hold on you! I know that deep down inside, you don't wanna do this!"

Nami's pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears, for Luffy was still pulling her in.

"Luffy, you can't!" cried Nami. "Please! I love you, remember?"

As those words were spoken, something inside Luffy snapped, and his evil expression was replaced with one of confusion.

* * *

><p>I was given the idea of Zoro's attack from a helpful friend from deviantART: SamuraiPoet, whom I thank.<p>

Review, please!


	7. Clues Are Found

**Ch. 7- Clues Are Found**

* * *

><p>One Piece © Oda<p>

Blizzard, Malcolm, and Mordecai © Me

* * *

><p>Luffy stared at Nami, confused. He let go of her ankle and started to back away.<p>

"Remember, Luffy?" Nami asked as she stood up. "I love you! And you love me, remember? I always supported you and gave you belly rubs whenever you ate too many sweets or swallowed something you shouldn't have, and you always give your hat to me, and I'm the one who stitches up for you when it gets nicked! Remember?"

Luffy clutched his head in his hands, gritting his teeth, grunting in confusion and anger.

Deep inside himself, the Straw Hat captain was now fighting with his vampire self, trying hard to overcome it.

_I want her blood!_

_You can't have it!_

_I'm a vampire! I feast on the blood of mortals!_

_Well, you're not gonna have my navigator's blood! I won't let you!_

Luffy looked up at Nami, who looked back at him with her lips parted, slightly.

"N…Nami?" Luffy asked, his voice sounding less demonic and more like its usual scratchiness and his eyes losing their red glow.

"Yes, Luffy!" Nami said. "It's me! Your sweet tangerine!"

Luffy groaned as he kept clutching his skull, and dropped to his knees.

Nami watched, anticipating her captain returning to normal, but then, Luffy lifted his head, his eyes glowing redder than ever and letting out a loud hiss.

"Give me your BLOOD!"

Nami gasped in shock and horror, and she ended up falling backwards on her rump.

Luffy, returning to his monstrous state, prepared to lunge at her and sink his fangs into her neck, but then…

**SPLASH!** Some water was splashed in Luffy's face, sending him in agony as he backed away, clutching his face in his hands.

"HOLY WATER~!" he screamed. "IT BURNS! IT BURNS! RAAAAARGGH!"

Nami looked over and saw Chopper with an empty vial of holy water in his hooves.

"C'mon, Nami, get up!" the little reindeer exclaimed. "That won't hold him off for long! Hurry!"

Nami looked at Luffy as he continued to writhe in pain before she stood up, grabbed Chopper, and made a run for it.

Luffy, still holding his face, didn't try to go after them. Instead, he just skulked off to another part of the mansion.

Nami and Chopper, however, kept running.

"Is he chasing us?" Nami asked.

"I don't know!" Chopper answered. "I'm way too scared to look!"

At the end of the hall, Nami spotted a door, up ahead.

"I think we can hide in there!" she said.

As they reached the end of the hall, Nami opened the door, went inside the room behind it, and quickly slammed it shut behind her. She then slid to the floor in a sitting position with Chopper in her arms.

"That was a close one," said Nami.

"Yeah," Chopper agreed. "He was this close to biting your neck!"

"Thanks, Chopper," Nami said.

"Shut up!" Chopper barked, wiggling happily in the navigator's arms. "Saying 'thanks' doesn't make me happy, you know!"

However, he soon dropped his happy face when he felt Nami tighten her hold on him.

"Is something wrong, Nami?" Chopper asked. "You're not sick, are you?"

"In a way, yeah," Nami said. "I thought…I thought maybe…I could snap Luffy out of it. It almost worked, but I guess Malcolm got a hold of him at the last second."

Chopper looked at Nami with the utmost sympathy. She knew how much Luffy meant to her, and knowing that he was now a vampire out for her blood…it just made her heart break.

_Poor Nami,_ Chopper thought. _I wish there was something I could do._

The little reindeer then turned himself around in Nami's arms and raised his hooves up to her face, wearing a smile.

"It's okay," he said. "At least you know that Luffy's trying his hardest to fight it, right? He just needs help, is all."

Nami smiled before she pulled Chopper into a hug.

"Thanks, again, Chopper," she said.

"Whatever," Chopper said, still smiling, but he dropped it when he got a look at his surroundings. "Uh, hey…where are we?"

Nami then stood up, still holding Chopper and getting a good look at her surroundings, as well.

It was revealed that they had hid themselves in a dusty old bedroom. The bed was in one side of the room, a wardrobe on the other side. In front of them was a cracked mirror with a huge shard of glass missing from it. On the floor were various toys. Not just that…but they also saw specks of…dried blood.

"What is this room?" asked Chopper.

"It looks like it was made for a child," Nami said. "You know, I'll bet 100,000 Berries that this is Malcolm's room."

Chopper looked up above the mirror and gasped.

"Nami," he said. "Look up there!"

Nami looked to where Chopper was pointing, and then gasped.

Above the mirror, written into the wall, was the word "WHY" in huge letters.

"'Why'?" Nami repeated.

"'Why' what?" Chopper questioned. "You think Malcolm wrote that?"

"Maybe he did," Nami replied.

Suddenly, Chopper crinkled his nose, and then he quickly covered it, grunting in disgust.

"Ugh!" he cried. "That smell!"

"What smell?" Nami asked him.

"It's coming from the wardrobe. Whatever it is, it really smells! It feels like my nose is about to fall off!"

Nami turned to the wardrobe and slowly approached it. Her heart started racing as she cautiously put her hand on one of the knobs…and ever so slowly opened the door.

What she saw made her and Chopper scream.

Inside the wardrobe…was a skeleton. The skeleton of a small child, no less, and lying next to it was the missing shard of glass from the mirror…covered in dried blood.

"I think we just found Malcolm's remains," Nami said.

"I feel sick, now," Chopper said.

"What do you two think you're doing in my room?"

Nami and Chopper whipped around and saw Malcolm, floating behind them. Needless to say, he was definitely not a happy-looking ghost.

"M-Malcolm…!" Nami stammered.

Chopper whimpered as he felt his heart thudding against his ribcage at least a million times a second.

"You're not supposed to be in here!" Malcolm exclaimed. "Get outta here! Right NOW!"

Malcolm raised his hands, and behind him, his bed began to shake until the posts into two pairs of long, wooden arms.

"Nami, I think we should go…!" Chopper whispered.

Nami didn't need to be told, again. With that, she quickly headed for the door and ran out as fast as possible before the arms could grab her.

"Run and hide all you want!" Malcolm called. "You'll never escape…alive!"

XXX

Meanwhile, Robin and Franky were doing an investigation of their own in the master bedroom.

"Find anything, yet, Franky?" asked Robin.

"Nope," Franky answered. "Nothing so far."

"I'm sure the others might've found something," Robin said as she dug through one of the drawers of the dresser. As she did, she suddenly felt something prick her finger, making her recoil her hand as she made a slight yelp before putting her finger into her mouth. However, she then put on a look of intrigue before she reached back into the drawer and pulled something out.

It was a wilted, old rose…with a note attached to it.

"Odd," Robin muttered as he took off the note.

It read, "We're sorry, Malcolm. R.I.P."

Robin gently twirled the wilted rose in her fingers. Did Mordecai happen to leave this rose for Malcolm after he died?

"Franky," Robin called.

"Hmm?"

"Come look what I found."

Before Franky could go over to the historian, however, they soon heard the sound of footsteps, followed by familiar screaming, as well as hissing.

Just then, busting into the room came Usopp and Brook, panting and eyes bugged (in Usopp's case, anyway).

"What's the matter with you two?" asked Franky.

"We gotta get outta here, right now!" Usopp cried.

"Why?" Robin asked. "What's wrong?"

"It's Mister Zoro and Mister Sanji!" Brook said. "They…they've been turned into vampires!"

Robin and Franky gasped.

Behind Usopp and Brook, they could see the familiar forms of Zoro and Sanji, both with glowing red eyes and large fangs protruding from their upper lips.

Both had set their sights on the four Straw Hats in the room and had these words to say…

"Give us your blood~!"

* * *

><p>Sorry it's short.<p>

Review, please!


	8. Struggles

**Ch. 8- Struggles**

* * *

><p>One Piece © Oda<p>

Blizzard and Malcolm © Me

* * *

><p>Zoro and Sanji hissed viciously as they made their way inside the room.<p>

"How did this happen?" Robin questioned.

"Well, first, we ran into Blizzard, and he bit Zoro," Usopp answered as he started backing away. "Then, Sanji tried to buy us some time to escape, but Blizzard bit him, too!"

"Now we're down to six of us!" Brook declared. "That is if Mister Luffy hasn't gotten to Miss Nami and Mister Chopper, next!"

"How the hell do we get outta here?" questioned Usopp.

"We don't have a choice, I guess," said Franky. "We gotta fight 'em!"

**KA-CHAK!** Franky opened up his shoulders, revealing his cannons.

"Franky Cannons! FIRE!" he shouted.

**KABANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!** Franky opened fire on the two vampires, who recoiled as the shots hit them each, but then, they continued to advance.

"W-what's going on?" Franky asked.

"Let me try," Robin said before she crossed her arms. "Cuerpo Fleur…"

**SHEEN!** Two Robin clones sprouted from Zoro and Sanji, each.

"DOBLE CLUTCH!"

**CRRRACK!** The four Robins snapped the vampires' spines, not enough to sever them in half, just to knock them out. However, the two still continued forward, much to Robin's disbelief.

"What are you two, stupid?" Usopp exclaimed. "How could you forget that vampires are UNDEAD? You can't really KILL them!"

"Yo-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!" Brook laughed/screamed. "How frightening!"

Just then, Zoro, who had his swords drawn, and Sanji lunged at the four, fangs exposed.

"WATCH IT!" Franky shouted.

The quartet quickly moved out of the way, resulting in the two vampires colliding with the wall behind them.

"NOW RUN!" Usopp yelled.

Not needing to be told twice, the Straw Hats ran out of the room as fast as they could. However, Zoro managed to stand back up, and before the four could get away…

"AAAHH!"

Usopp, Franky, and Brook turned back to see Robin, trapped in Zoro's clutches.

"No!" Usopp cried.

"Miss Robin!" yelled Brook.

"Robin!" Franky exclaimed.

"It's all right, boys…!" Robin choked out as Zoro prepared to sink his fangs into her neck. "Go find Nami and Chopper! Go on without me!"

**CHOMP!** Zoro bit into Robin's jugular vein, making her cry out in pain.

"NO~!"

XXX

Moments later, in a different part of the house, Nami and Chopper were still exploring the mansion, keeping an eye peeled for Luffy, in case he decided to jump out from somewhere again. He hadn't shown up, yet, but that didn't mean that he had given up.

If there was one thing that hadn't changed about Luffy, it was his will to never give up.

Suddenly, Chopper's ears twitched, and he looked back behind himself, causing Nami to look back, as well.

"What's wrong?" Nami asked.

"I hear something," Chopper answered. "Something like footsteps. Running footsteps. They may be light, but I can hear them."

Nami looked back at the darkness behind them, feeling a sense of uneasiness.

"L…Luffy?" she muttered.

**WHOOSH!** Something blurred passed the navigator and doctor at an incredible speed.

It was Brook, screaming his skull off.

"Brook?" Chopper questioned.

"Brook, where are you going?" Nami called after the skeleton.

"RUUUUUUUUN!"

Nami and Chopper stared in confusion, but then, they heard footsteps coming from behind them. Slower ones.

Turning around, they saw that it was…Robin, walking out from the shadows, eyes closed.

"Oh," Chopper sighed. "It's just Robin."

"Wait," Nami said. "There's something…off about her."

Nami didn't realize how right she was.

Robin stood before the two, eyes still closed, but as she opened them, they were revealed to be glowing blood red, and then she opened her mouth, revealing a pair of sharp fangs and letting out a vicious hiss.

Nami gasped in horror.

"GAAAAAAHH!" Chopper screamed. "ROBIN'S A VAMPIRE, TOO!"

"LET'S RUN!" Nami cried as she grabbed Chopper and carried him off.

Robin chased after them.

By this time, Nami and Chopper managed to catch up with Brook.

"Brook, what happened?" Nami asked.

"Well, first," Brook started, "Mister Zoro and Mister Sanji had been bitten by Mister Blizzard, so they both had been turned into vampires! Then, Mister Zoro bit Miss Robin, and now she is a vampiress!"

Nami looked back at Robin, who was still chasing behind them, hissing.

"Give me your BLOOD~!" she roared.

"We have to find a way to get away from her!" said Chopper.

"But how?" Brook asked.

"There's a door, up ahead!" Nami replied. "We can use that to get away!"

With that in mind, Nami, Chopper, and Brook ran inside the door and slammed it behind them, leaving Robin on the other side.

Once inside, the three Straw Hats panted, trying to catch their breath. At that moment, they noticed that they were in very large room. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, and though it was torn, the wallpaper was given a heavenly design. There were mahogany chairs set about the room, most of which were broken and dusty.

"This must be the ballroom," said Nami. "It must've been a lot prettier back in the day."

"I'll say," Chopper added.

"Very scary," Brook chimed in.

Nami walked further into the room, taking a look around. She then spotted an open window, nearby. Looking outside, she saw that the sky had gone from black to indigo. Plus, some of the stars were gone.

Dawn was approaching.

"Wow," Nami said. "Come look at this, you two."

Chopper and Brook soon joined Nami's side.

"It's getting close to morning, already?" Chopper questioned.

"Why not?" Brook asked. "We've spent almost the entire night running away from vampires and a ghost!"

"Guys, I just thought of something," Nami said. "If we don't hurry up and get Luffy and the others back to normal…the sun could destroy them."

"Then we gotta work fast," Chopper said.

**WOOSH!** Something big and brown flew over the trio's heads, forcing them to duck.

It was revealed to be a huge, brown bat, flying up to the chandelier and hanging itself there by its feet.

"Phew…!" Chopper sighed. "It's only a bat."

"Nothing to fear," said Brook.

Nami, however, got a closer look at the creature. It was brown like a regular bat, sure…but since when did bats have long snouts…and red eyes?

"Uh, guys?" Nami muttered. "I don't think that's an ordinary bat."

**THUD!** Something dropped from the chandelier and onto the floor.

It was Usopp…now with the same features as Robin: two glowing red eyes and a pair of elongated canines.

"AAAAAAAAHH! IT'S USOPP~!" Chopper screamed.

"He's been turned into a vampire, too!" Nami exclaimed.

"He isn't the only one!" Brook remarked. "Look!"

Behind Usopp, another pair of glowing red eyes had appeared, and a vicious hiss followed. Out of the shadows came Franky, who had also fallen victim to the fangs of a vampire.

"Franky, too!" cried Chopper.

**KRASH!** The rotted ceiling suddenly came crumbling down before the trio.

It was revealed to be Zoro, Sanji, and Blizzard, all hissing viciously.

**SMASH!** Robin's hand smashed through the door, also hissing.

Nami gasped in horror. Most of her beloved crew had been turned into a pack of bloodthirsty vampires, and it was likely that either she, Chopper, or Brook would be next!

"Rumble!"

Nami looked over and saw Chopper chomping on a Rumble Ball.

"Horn POINT!" the reindeer exclaimed as he transformed into his Horn Point form and charged forward, enlarged antlers pointed at his foes.

**BASH!** He bashed his skull against Blizzard's, who withstood the attack and was soon locked in a stalemate with him.

"Rrgh…!" Chopper growled as he found himself getting pushed back by Blizzard. "Damn! It's no good, but I gotta protect Nami!"

Suddenly, **BAM!** Chopper was met with a snapping kick to his side by Sanji, which caused him to be sent flying into a giant Venus Flytrap plant, which trapped him in its jaws.

"AAAAH!" Chopper screamed as he struggled to get free. "Get me outta here!"

Usopp let out a malevolent laugh as he started to climb up the plant, fangs exposed.

"Yo-ho-ho-ho-ho~!" Brook cackled as he jumped into battle with Zoro, who had his swords drawn.

**KLANG!** The blades clashed, creating a flashing effect.

"I see you have gotten stronger, Mister Zoro!" Brook remarked. "Vampire or not!"

**SLI-SLI-SLASH!** Zoro swung and his slashed his swords at Brook who tried to parry his blows, but as he did, he found himself getting pushed back, each and every time.

Just then, Brook felt himself getting grabbed from behind. It was Franky, who threw him up against a wall where several arms sprouted and pinned the skeleton.

"You may not have blood, bony one," said Robin, "but you will still become one of us!"

"Same goes for the little reindeer!" Usopp hissed, smirking.

"Not to mention the orange-haired feline-girl," Zoro added.

Nami gasped as she started to back herself up against the wall. How was she going to stop her now demonic crewmates from attacking the only two friends she had left, as well as herself? What could she do? She couldn't possibly bring herself to fight them, could she?

She couldn't bring herself to run away and desert them. The last thing she wanted to be was a coward. Those days of her being a scared-y cat from two years had been put behind her.

At that moment, Nami remembered something. Reaching into her bra, she found the vial of holy water that Usopp had given her.

_It's a bit risky,_ she thought, _but it's a chance I'll have to take!_

With that, Nami put the pieces of her Sorcery Clima-Tact together, and placed the vial of holy water into the end.

**BLOOP!** A chain of Weather Balls appeared from the other end.

"I hope this works!" Nami said to herself. "Dark Ball…RAIN ROD!"

**WOOSH! SPLASH!** Nami threw the Rain Rod at the group of vampires, causing them to get splashed in holy water. The result gave them an agonizing burn and they all dropped to the floor, one-by-one, all curled up in a fetal position.

Brook found himself being released from Robin's hold.

**PLOP!** The plant that came out of one Usopp's Pop Greens released Chopper, causing him to drop to the wet floor.

"You did it, Nami!" Chopper cheered. "You beat them all!"

"Well done, Miss Nami!" Brook added.

Nami made a small, rather nervous smile.

"Well, it wasn't easy as it looked, you know," Nami said. "Anyway, this won't hold them off for long. We gotta go!"

"Leaving so soon?" a voice hissed.

Nami let out a gasp, as did Brook and Chopper. The trio started looking around, but could not find where the voice had come.

Suddenly, Nami felt a cold hand on her shoulder. She whipped around, and then let out a shriek.

There was Luffy, an angry snarl on his face.

"Luffy…!" the navigator gasped.

"I grow tired of your tomfoolery!" Luffy barked as he began to advance.

**KLANK!** He threw Nami's Clima-Tact out her hands and sent it flying across the room.

"Dawn is approaching," Luffy said, "and this is the only chance I'll get! I want your blood…and I want it NOW!"

With that, Nami started to back away from Luffy, who began to advance, hissing and growling.

"Luffy, no!" Nami shouted. "Please, you can't do this! I know you don't want to! Don't listen to Malcolm! Fight it!"

Luffy practically roared at Nami as he continued to advance.

"You leave her alone!"

Luffy looked back and saw Chopper, in Heavy Point, and Brook charging at him, letting out their own battle cries, but they were about to learn that they were being a bit too hasty. Luffy grabbed Chopper by his hands the moment he got close, and then, with incredible strength, he hurled the human-reindeer at Brook, causing them both to collide with the wall behind them, losing consciousness as they did.

"Chopper! Brook!" cried Nami.

Luffy snickered as he soon had Nami, backed up against a wall. He then roughly put his hands on her arms, making her grunt in slight pain, before he let out a hiss and exposed his fangs.

At this point, Nami was fighting back tears. The crew was one thing, but Luffy was another. How was she going to get her beloved captain to snap out of his monstrous demeanor?

Just when it seemed that Luffy was sink his fangs into Nami's neck, Nami put her hands to his cheeks, which confused him.

"C'mon, Luffy," Nami said. "If this doesn't help you remember…I don't know what else will!"

Before Luffy could react…Nami captured his lips with her own, her eyes shut, clearly taking him by surprise.

By this time, Chopper and Brook starting to come around. At first, they thought that Luffy was trying to take Nami's soul, but then, a closer look revealed that Nami was kissing him.

"Miss Nami…" Brook muttered.

"Oh, boy…!" Chopper (who had gone back into Brain Point form) squeaked as his face turned bright red.

_Luffy, please,_ Nami thought as a single tear fell from her eye. _You wanna stay with me, don't you?_

Just then, Luffy's eyes stopped glowing red, his real fangs became fake, and he no longer felt the need to suck blood. At first, he didn't know what was going on, but as he began to remember, he slowly closed his eyes and deepened the kiss.

Nami had done it! The love she bore for her captain had changed him back to normal!

As the two pulled away, Nami looked up into Luffy's eyes, a soft smile upon her face. Luffy returned the smile and gently pressed his forehead against hers.

"Thank you, Nami," Luffy said.

Nami nodded. She then took off Luffy's hat and put it back on its rightful place: upon his hair.

"Ugh…what the hell just happened?" asked a gruff, disgruntled voice.

Luffy, Nami, Chopper, and Brook looked up to see the rest of the Straw Hats, standing up and holding their heads.

"Where are we?" Robin asked.

"My jaw hurts," Usopp said.

"I feel SUPER weird," commented Franky.

"My head feels like a cannonball," Sanji.

Blizzard stood up and shook his head to relieve himself of the headache he was suddenly experiencing.

"BLIZZARD~!" Chopper wailed as he threw himself at the wolf-dog. "YOU'RE BACK~!"

_Did I go somewhere?_ Blizzard questioned in thought.

"Hey, guys!" Luffy said. "Glad you're back!"

"Luffy!" Zoro exclaimed. "You're not a vampire, anymore!"

"Nope!" Luffy said. "Thanks to Nami! Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh!"

"Yo-ho-ho-ho-ho!" Brook laughed as he approached Nami. "Well done, Miss Nami! You've lifted the curse! Now then…may I have a look at your panties?"

**THWACK!** Nami kicked Brook in the face.

"LIKE HELL!" she yelled.

Everyone laughed. Even Nami had to laugh at this. Thanks to her, everyone was back to normal!

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" roared a voice that practically shook the house.

All of a sudden, Malcolm appeared, a flaming black aura emanating from him and a very vicious look upon his face.

"YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO TURN BACK TO NORMAL!" the ghost-child yelled. "YOU WERE ALL SUPPOSED TO BE VAMPIRES AND STAY HERE, FOREVER! YOU CAN'T LEAVE! YOU'LL _NEVER_ LEAVE! NEVEEEEEEEERR~!"

At that proclamation, the house started to shake again, as if to emphasize Malcolm's fury.

Everyone stared at Malcolm, some in anger, others in fright. However, the one who was the most angered was Luffy.

Ghost or not, no one puts his friends through such a nightmare like that, especially his navigator.

Luffy clenched a fist at his side, the skin of his left arm turning a shiny black, and steaming as well.

**POW! BOOM!** A fist connected with Malcolm, creating an explosion as it made contact.

Everyone gasped as Malcolm fell to the floor, shaking. He then sat up, rubbing his side.

"Hey, no fair!" he exclaimed. "You're not supposed to hit m-"

Malcolm soon fell dead silent (no pun intended) when he saw Luffy, towering over him, eyes narrowed in a menacing glare and his teeth gritted.

It struck Malcolm with fear.

**CLUTCH!** Luffy grabbed Malcolm by his throat and lifted him up to his eye level, and then prepared to reel a fist back.

"You little snot…!" Luffy growled. "I ought to pound your face in!"

"Luffy, no!"

Luffy looked back at Nami.

"Put him down," she said.

Luffy stared at his navigator in disbelief, but then he heaved a sigh and reluctantly set Malcolm back down. Nami then came over and knelt down to the ghost boy's height level.

Malcolm shivered and held his hands up in defense. He no longer seemed like the very angry spirit, now that Luffy had given him a look at his power.

"P-please," he said. "D-d-don't hurt me…you win. I don't wanna play anymore!"

"Malcolm," Nami said. "Listen…we were sent here by your twin brother, Mordecai."

Malcolm looked up at Nami.

"Mordecai?" he repeated, receiving a nod from the 20-year-old woman. "But…but why?"

"He wants you to pass on and stop tormenting people," Nami said. "He just wants you to rest in peace."

Malcolm then put on a look of anger.

"Why should he care about me?" he questioned. "When I died, he never cared at all. Mom and Dad didn't care either." Small tears started to form. "They…they abandoned me! They left me to die at the hands of those pirates! That's why I can't leave! I have to know why! Why didn't they help me? WHY~?"

Everyone felt their hearts go out to Malcolm. Even though he forced their captain and his to go after them, in the end, he was just a young spirit, struggling to pass on to the other world, all because he believed that his family had purposely left him to be killed.

That explained the writing in Malcolm's bedroom wall.

"Is that what you think?" Nami asked, earning a nod from Malcolm. "Malcolm, they didn't abandon you."

"How do you know?" Malcolm asked, sniffling.

There was a pause…but then Luffy approached him and knelt down in front of the boy.

"Maybe I can help you see," Luffy said. "My teacher, Rayleigh, he taught me this thing called 'Haki'. There are three different types. This one he taught me is called 'Observation' Haki. He said in some ways, I can reach into the minds of spirits."

"Good idea, Luffy," Nami said. "That just might be crazy enough to work!"

With that, Luffy set the palm of his hand on Malcolm and closed his eyes. He knitted his brow, trying to concentrate and focus his energy, like Rayleigh had taught him.

All of a sudden, Malcolm's eyes started to glow a bright yellow, as did Luffy's.

A scene began to play before their eyes.

XXX

_They heard panicked screams and wicked laughter._

_There was carnage, chaos, and bloodshed._

_Many people were running for their lives….from the crew of vicious pirates that invaded the island._

_The pirates approached a familiar looking house. It was painted white, and the beautiful flower garden around it flourished._

_The perfect place to find some riches._

_A panicked woman ran through the house whilst her husband held off the vicious brutes._

"_Mordecai! Malcolm!" she called. "Boys! Where are you?"_

_Inside a familiar room, filled with various toys, a young boy hid himself inside the wardrobe, hoping the pirates wouldn't find him and that they'd just go away after they had what they came for._

"_Malcolm!" a voice called._

_Another boy, who looked identical to Malcolm, came rushing in._

"_Malcolm! We gotta get outta here!"_

"_Mordecai!"_

_The mother soon entered._

"_Mordecai, where's your brother?"_

"_I don't know! I can't find him!"_

"_Well, where is he?"_

"_I don't know!"_

"_Josephine! Mordecai! Malcolm! It's time to leave! These pirates are too much!"_

"_But we can't find Malcolm!"_

"_Then the pirates probably won't find him, either! Now let's go!"_

_However reluctantly, Josephine and Mordecai were forced to escape…leaving Malcolm to his death._

XXX

Malcolm gasped as his and Luffy's eyes stopped glowing.

Now it all became clear to Malcolm. In the last second, his mother and brother came looking for him…and because he had hid himself like he did, then they'd find him…and he wouldn't have died the way he did.

"They were really looking for me," Malcolm murmured. "All this time…I thought they left me for dead. Boy, was I stupid."

"You were only scared, Malcolm," Nami said. "Anyone could've done what you did."

At that moment, Robin approached the boy and held out the withered old rose.

"Mordecai left this for you," he said. "He hoped that it would help you pass on to the other world."

Malcolm reached up and took the dead flower. Even in its withered state…he thought it was beautiful…just like the love his brother had for him.

Suddenly, an aura appeared around Malcolm. This one was different from his normal aura. It was bright yellow and heavenly, and it gave off a peaceful energy.

"What's happening to him?" asked Chopper.

"It looks like…he's passing on," Brook answered.

Malcolm looked up at the Straw Hats, and then gave them a smile as he began to vanish before their eyes, giving a happy giggle as he did.

The darkness began to flee the room as the sun began to rise, its light shining through the window.

"Finally," said Sanji. "Daybreak, at last."

"SUPER beautiful sunrise!" Franky declared.

"It's just like back at _Thriller Bark_," Chopper commented.

"Yeah," Zoro agreed. "The nightmare's over."

"Thank god," Usopp said.

"Yo-ho-ho-ho!" Brook chortled.

Blizzard and Robin only smiled.

Luffy turned to Nami and took her hand in his.

"Let's get outta here," Luffy said.

The crew didn't have any arguments.

* * *

><p>I decided to make this a bit longer. I feel like it's a bit rushed, though.<p>

Tell me what you think, anyway!


	9. Everything's Over

**Ch. 9- Everything's Over**

* * *

><p>One Piece © Oda<p>

Blizzard, Mordecai, Malcolm © Me

* * *

><p>Hours later, the Straw Hats had set sail from Pumpkin Island, and were now safely aboard the<em> Thousand<em> _Sunny_. Halloween was over, and now, they could get back to their adventure.

Before they left, they happened to run into Mordecai, who congratulated them on saving Luffy and Blizzard, as well as helping his twin brother pass on, happily.

He claimed that now that Malcolm had gone to the other world, he, too, could rest peacefully.

That was the last the crew ever saw of Mordecai, but they were glad to help the old man.

Luffy was a bit disappointed when he thought that all the hard-earned candy and treats that they collected had been lost, but upon reaching the ship, they saw that everything had been piled onto the deck.

"You think that maybe Malcolm left those here for us, as a way of saying thanks?" asked Chopper.

The crew didn't really know for certain, but they were just glad that everything was over.

On the _Sunny_, everyone was back in their usual attire, considering that Halloween had ended.

Sanji had just gotten through making breakfast for everybody and was currently busy washing the dishes.

Usopp, Franky, and Brook were down below deck, sorting and trading their candy stash.

Chopper was out on the deck with Blizzard, who was lying down under the mast and taking a rest after breakfast. The little reindeer curled himself up in the wolf-dog's fur and clutched at his scarf.

"You know, Blizzard?" Chopper asked. "I'm glad that everything's back to normal."

Blizzard heaved a sigh, as if to say, "Me, too."

"Still," Chopper said. "There's one thing that kind of bothers me."

Blizzard gave Chopper an inquisitive look. Chopper looked back at him, and then smiled.

"You're right," said the little reindeer. "I shouldn't dwell on it."

Blizzard smiled and started to snicker, and Chopper joined in his laughter before they continued their little nap together.

Robin, meanwhile, was tending to her flower garden, when Zoro passed by.

"Hey, Robin," he greeted.

"Zoro," Robin greeted back.

"Hey, listen," he said. "Back when I was vampire…when I bit you…I-"

"Oh, don't give it a second thought," Robin said. "It's all water under the bridge, now."

"Good," Zoro said, "because that stupid cook wouldn't get off my back until I said something to you."

Robin chuckled.

"You know, Zoro," she said. "Even though you were after me for my blood…I have to admit, you like quite…sexy as a vampire."

Zoro gave Robin a confused glance before he turned and walked away, scratching a finger against his cheek. He didn't even notice how warm they were getting, or that they were flushing a light pink.

Luffy, meanwhile, was sitting under the tree on the deck, eyes hooded, hands folded behind his head, and legs crossed. His large bag of candy laid beside him, the contents within untouched.

It looked as if…he was thinking about something, which was rare.

"Luffy?"

The captain looked up once he heard his name and saw Nami, walking down the stairs and coming to his side.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked.

Luffy shook his head and scooted over, allowing Nami to sit beside him.

"Something on your mind?" Nami asked.

"Nothing gets passed you, huh?" Luffy questioned.

"Well, I saw you didn't eat very much at breakfast," Nami said. "That, and you haven't even touched your candy. What's the matter, Luffy? Huh?"

Luffy heaved a sigh.

"Well," he began, "when I think back to…when I was a vampire…I saw how frightened I made you. I-it was…scary. _I_ was scary." He turned to Nami. "I don't wanna put you through something like that, again, Nami. Ever."

Nami smiled and put a hand to Luffy's cheek.

"Luffy," she said. "It's okay. Even if something like that does happen again, I know that deep down, you can fight it. You just need some help is all."

Luffy didn't seem very convinced, for he looked away from Nami.

The navigator simply responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and nuzzling his chest.

"I'll still love you," she said, "no matter what."

Luffy paused for a moment, but then he grinned and chuckled as he retuned the hug.

"Thanks, Nami," he said.

"Anytime," Nami replied before she reached into Luffy's bag of candy and pulled out a gummy bear. She popped it into her mouth, and then pressed her lips against her captain's. He responded by pressing his lips against hers. As the two kissed, Luffy felt something slip into his mouth.

The two pulled away.

"That was sweet," he said.

"Which was?" Nami asked. "The candy or the kiss?"

"Both," Luffy answered.

Nami smiled before she prepared to stand back up, but then Luffy stopped her by grabbed her arm.

"I didn't say we could stop," he said.

Nami rolled her eyes before she sat back down, took another piece of candy, and kissed Luffy again.

XXX

Luffy moaned in discomfort. His face was a sickly green color, and his stomach was swollen. He felt like he wanted to throw up.

The bag of candy was halfway empty.

"My tummy hurts…!" Luffy whined.

"Well, what did I say?" Nami asked as she gently rubbed little circles on her captain's belly. "I warned you that you were gonna get a stomachache if we didn't stop, and look what happens."

"It's your fault," Luffy complained. "You had to be such a good kisser."

Nami rolled her eyes as Luffy moaned in pain.

Like she had said, even after two years, Luffy still couldn't control his sweet tooth.

"C'mon, Luffy," said Nami as she helped her captain up. "You need a nap."

Luffy kept moaning as Nami took him to the men's quarters to sleep off the candy.

Next Halloween, Nami was going to make sure that Luffy only got as little sweets as possible, candy, kisses, or otherwise. Also, she was going to try and get him avoid going into anymore spooky-looking houses.

**THE END**

* * *

><p>Well, that's the end!<p>

Thanks for reading, everyone! I admit, the ending may've been a bit random, though.

Review, please!


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